Improvement in machines for hammering leather



C. D. 'BIGELOW.

MACHINES FOR HAMMERING LEA I HER.

No, 185,477, Patented Dec. 19,1876.

THE GRAPHIC CON.Y

UNITE]; STATES PATENT Qrrron.

CHARLES D. BIGELOW, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE BAY STATE SHOEAND LEATHER COMPANY.

IMPROVEMENT IN MACHINES FOR HAMMERING LEATHER.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 185,477, dated December19, 1876; application filed October 21, 1876.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES D. BIGELOW, formerly of Brooklyn, but now ofthe city of New York, in the county of New York and State of New York,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines forHammering Leather; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, referencebeing had of leather has been done by the shoemaker.

with his hammer and lap-stone, and also by a single hammer in somemachines; but this process is slow and expensive, besides difficult ingetting the leather evenly hammered. Hammered leather, properly done,will finish finer on the bottom, and will burnish better and quicker onthe edge than rolled leather.

I use a combination of hammers, arranged in a way to break joints, oneseries operating in front of the other, and thereby produc ing the besteffect in evenly hammering the surface of the leather.

By this arrangement I leave the surface equally as smooth as whenrolled, and of a more uniform solidity, and do not injure the fiber ofthe leather, doing better work, and equally as fast, as by rolling.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a vertical section ofa machine embracing my invention, the combination of hammers being inelevated positions; Fig. 2, a front elevation; Fig. 3, arear elevation,showing the hammer-guide fins; Fig. 4, a horizontal section, showing thecombination of hammers; and Fig. 5, a section showing the adjustment oftension device for the hammersprings.

A suitable frame supports the anvil a, and the several operating partsof the machine. A multiplicity of hammers, b, are arranged to form acombination, in which one series or group operates in front of theother, and breaks joints, the effect of which is to subject the leatherpassing over the anvil beneath them to a uniform hammering-surface ofcon-- siderable area, so that when working in the side the multiplicityof hammers gives the extended surface required, while being also adaptedfor hammering the sole or strip. This is a matter of great advantage.

The hammers are, preferably, of oblong form with slightly-curved faces,to avoid any indentations of their ends in the surfaces of the leather,and their shanks c are supported in horizontal guide-plates d and e, toeffect their vertical movement. The hammers are held from turning out oftheir proper position by finsf, which work in corresponding slots g, ina fixed back plate. The hammers are elevated and tripped by means of asuitablyformed cam, h, carried by a driving-shaft, 13, and acting uponthe fins f, so as to lift all the hammers together; or the cam may havecorrugations so as to lift the back hammers at one time and the frontseries in succession.

The blows of the combination of hammers are made by springs j, suitablysecured at the rear of the frame, and having their free ends bearingupon the tops of the hammershanks, which are guarded at their upper endsby rubber or leather cushions k, to limit the descent of the hammers,and prevent their striking and injuring the surface of the anvil. Abovethe guard-cushions, the shanks are screw-threaded, to receive each athumb-nut, l, by which each hammer may be held to its proper adjustment.The blows of the hammers are regulated by a tension device, consistingof a cross-bar, m, with screws arranged to bear upon each spring andregulate its tension, to give the blow required. By turning the bar mupon its pivots all the screws may be put out of action at once, and theforce of all the hammers correspondingly diminished, as the edge of thebar will then give tension upon the springs, as in Fig. 5.

[t is important thus to regulate the force of the blows for some kindsof leather; The upper. ends of the shanks are pointed, to enter cavitiesor perforations in the springs to keep them from rebounding. Weights, ofcourse, may take the place of the springs, or the hammers themselves maybe weighted.

A suitable feeding-table is placed at the front of the machine, uponwhich to feed the stock under the hammers. The hammers may be in anynumber of groups, and the shaft which drives them is operated by poweror crank.

I have described the hammers as of oblong shape, but they may be of anydesired form.

While the hammers are worked in groups simultaneously, they must also beoperated with a gaged descent upon the surface of the leather; otherwisethe design of my invention will fail. It will also be observed that thefins by which the hammers are elevated serve also as the means forpreventing them from turning upon their carrying-stems.

I claim- 1. A combination of hammers for hammering leather as it ismoved upon and over the anvil, in which said hammers are operated ingroups, to have a simultaneous and gaged descent upon the leather, asand for purpose herein set forth.

2. A combination of hammers, arrangedto 1 break joints, one seriesoperating in frontof the other, as the stock isfedj over the anvil. 3. Acombination of hammers, arranged to break joints, as described, andhaving slightly-curved faces, for the purpose stated.

herein set forth.

5. The combinationofhammers, arrangedfli to operate as described, withthe guard-cusb,

ions, the thumb-nuts, and the springs, sub- ?tantially as and for thepurpose herein set orth.

6. The combinationlof hammers, arranged to operate as described,'withthe springs,'tension-screws, and the turning-bar m, whereby the blow ofeach hammer is regulated bythe 1 screws, or all can be regulated at onceby the turning-bar, for the purpose stated.

In testimony that I claimthe foregoing I; have affixed mysignatureinpresence of two witnesses.

Witnesses: l

A. E. H. J oHNsoN, J. W. HAMmTo JoHNsoN.

OHARLEISD. BIGELOW. [fa

